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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29574003">خطأ انطوائي - Shadow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUltimateFanGirl7/pseuds/TheUltimateFanGirl7'>TheUltimateFanGirl7</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types, Miraculous Ladybug</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste is Adopted by the Dupain-Chengs, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Acts Like a Cat, Alfred Pennyworth is the Best, Alfred Pennyworth knows all, Alix Kubdel is a good friend, Alya Césaire Bashing, Asexual Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, BAMF Alfred Pennyworth, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Badass Sabine Cheng, Bee Chloé Bourgeois | Queen Bee, Biological Parent Bruce Wayne, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Chloé Bourgeois Redemption, Chloé Bourgeois is Adopted by the Dupain-Chengs, Chloé Bourgeois's Queen Bee Identity is Secret, Dragon Kagami Tsurugi | Ryuko, GIVE THE BABIES A SUPPORT GROUP DAMN IT!!!!, Genius Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Good Parents Sabine Cheng &amp; Tom Dupain, Horse Sabine Cheng, Kagami Tsurugi is Adopted by the Dupain-Chengs, Lila Rossi Bashing, Marinette Dupain-Cheng Finds Out First, Miraculous Side Effects, Monkey Lê Chiến Kim | Roi Singe, OOC characters, Protective Alfred Pennyworth, Protective Bruce Wayne, Protective Sabine Cheng, Rabbit Alix Kubdel | Bunnyx, Secret Identities? What Secret Identities?, Serial Adopting is Genetic, Snake Luka Couffaine | Viperion, Spy Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Squirrel | Furry Bird, Tiger Juleka Couffaine, aromantic Marinette Dupain-Cheng, at least a bit, but DC did it with Damian so there, i'm pretty sure ten year olds aren't supposed to be this mature, that went down the drain pretty quickly when Fu left the picture, yeah no</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 23:09:03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,150</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29574003</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheUltimateFanGirl7/pseuds/TheUltimateFanGirl7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>She has always been a ghost. Before she was the elusive Black Bird of Gotham, she was the equally elusive Ladybug of Paris. Then, she led her team of child soldiers to war from the shadows. Now, she fights alongside her family, finally having the support she needs. Then, the fate of the world lay upon her shoulders. Now, she is one of many fighting to help one city. Then, she was the quiet baker's daughter. Now, she is the cold, successful daughter of a billionaire.</p><p>As she grows in confidence and talent, she makes friends and expands her family. She makes herself known through hard work alone. She gains clients that become friends, friends that become family. Her achievements draw in more and more. She frees a city held emotionally hostage. She gathers the lost Miraculous. She rises and falls and rises still further.</p><p>But one thing is certain: whether she's the superpowered heroine of Paris or the youngest princess of Gotham, whether she's the unnoticed bakery girl or the newest big name of fashion, whether she's the keeper of tiny gods or the scorned and bullied of her class, whether she's friend or foe, family or stranger. Whoever she may be, whatever she may do, she'll always be the Bat's Daughter.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Batfamily Members, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Sabine Cheng, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Selina Kyle, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir &amp; Tom Dupain, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Jonathan Kent, Alfred Pennyworth &amp; Everyone, Alfred Pennyworth &amp; Omniscience, Alix Kubdel/Lê Chiến Kim, Batfamily Members &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Cassandra Cain &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Chloé Bourgeois/Tim Drake, Dick Grayson/Koriand'r, Juleka Couffaine &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Luka Couffaine &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Alfred Pennyworth, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Alix Kubdel, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Bruce Wayne, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Damian Wayne, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Dick Grayson, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Jason Todd, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Kagami Tsurugi, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Lê Chiến Kim, Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug &amp; Selina Kyle, Past Sabine Cheng/Bruce Wayne, Sabine Cheng &amp; Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle/Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake &amp; Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>176</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>خطأ انطوائي - Shadow</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm back! School started again, and just as I was getting settled into my new routine, I started having seizures. The neurologist was completely unhelpful, figuring all he did was tell us that it wasn't epilepsy or some other seizure disorder, and then he gave us a list of people to see. The psychiatrist told us it wasn't panic attacks, which was what the doctor thought even though I was pretty adamant it wasn't, but she did finally start me on a treatment plan for my ADHD. We still have to see the movement disorder specialist, cognitive-physical therapist, the pulmonologist, and the thyroid specialist. On top of that, the seizures are getting worse and I'm now having attacks where I loose all sense of my surroundings and instead pace or curl up in a ball and rock all the while repeatedly hitting myself in the head and pulling my hair to make the pressure go away and trying to block out all light and sound because even a near-silent room seems to loud and bright. I've also been told that during such episodes I am sobbing about how reality feels "wrong" and that something "isn't right" and just repeat the words wrong and stop it over and over again.<br/>So. Fun.</p><p>I've just recently finally found inspiration to write again, so we'll see where I get. So far, I have written more for my other incomplete stories, the problem is I've only written a few sentences for each - not enough to publish. But I'm working on it, and now that the ADHD is being treated and the depression is (mostly) under control, I should be getting better at that. At least that's what they tell me.</p><p>Sorry for dumping all this on you...</p><p>~~</p><p>I literally almost made the title Arabic, the summary French, and the actual story English, but decided that that was a bad idea if I wanted people to actually read the story and not be, you know, really confused.</p><p>Also, I'm moving things up a bit and making Hawkmoth appear when they're ten. For plot reasons.</p><p>Sputter is a weird word. Say it only a couple times, even just in your head, and suddenly it doesn't sound like a real word anymore. Also splutter. -also apparently the only difference between the two is one is used with objects and the other is for people.</p><p>Words.</p><p>Chow for now ~TheUltimateFanGirl7</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>   Marinette never really had any friends. Sure, she was friendly with most of her classmates, but she didn’t really have <em> friends </em>. But that had never really bothered her. She never really wanted friends anyway. Growing up she was really quiet, always lurking in the background just watching everyone else. She never had much of an interest in interacting with her peers beyond absolute necessity. When she was young she had one person who she could probably consider a friend: Alix Kubdel.</p><p> </p><p>   Her maman had come to France from China to supervise the exhibit of Xia Dynasty relics on display at the Louvre as a member of the remaining family line. She became good friends with Alim Kubdel during the two years that her family heirlooms were in his care. They went for lunch one day at a local bakery and she met the baker’s son. He seemed a bit of a bumbling oaf at first glance, but underneath that he was charming and sweet and an incredibly talented man. When the time came for her to return to China, she decided to stay in Paris. She travelled home with the collection before returning to France. She stayed with Alim for a time, her previous arrangement having ended with the exhibition, before finally securing an apartment for herself. Only a year after she moved in, she ended her lease and moved out to live with her fiancé, the baker’s son she had met nearly three years prior. They settled for a small ceremony, her uncle and parents came from China and Alim and her new friend Nadja served as the wedding party. His father made the cake and his mother returned from Argentina and refrained from travelling for a while to help plan, prepare for, and attend the wedding.</p><p> </p><p>   A year later Alim and his wife welcomed their second child - Alix - to the world and made Sabine and her husband Tom godparents. In return a couple months later, Alim and his wife became the godparents of little newborn Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Alix and Marinette were raised together, practically siblings. Alix’s seemingly boundless energy easily made up for Marinette’s quiet. By the end of Ecole Primaire she had managed to make another sort-of friend in an equally quiet girl named Juleka Couffaine. They had a good relationship: sitting next to each other in complete silence in the back corner of the room. Of course, Marinette and Alix would always be close, but Alix liked to race around, compete, and chatter loudly with others. They spent time together in free running and gymnastics lessons, as well as various self defense and martial arts that Sabine was experienced in and passed on to her daughter and sudo-daughter as a form of bonding; however, at school Alix ran around with her other friends while Marinette lurked in a corner with Juleka.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Near the end of her second to last year of Ecole Primaire, everything changed. Ten year old Marinette was running late for school when she saw an elderly man crossing the street when a car shot around the corner heading straight for him with no signs of slowing. Little Marinette yanked her hand from her maman’s and raced into the street, yanking the man out of the way of the hurtling vehicle. Her maman rushed after her, fussing over both her and the man, making sure they were both okay from the near hit and the jarring of the experience. He brushed them off, thanking Marinette for saving him and Sabine for her concern before slowly walking away. Sabine huffed looking down at her daughter in fond exasperation, pulling her along.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Later that day, Marinette made a new friend in a cheerful little goddess attached to a pair of earrings and became a superhero. Despite her anxiety and complete lack of interest in social situations, she resolved to do her best for the sake of the people of Paris. Besides, she reasoned with herself, if whoever apparently carried around ridiculously powerful jewelry and gave them to random children, at least the earrings had ended up with someone who had some training.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She spent the entirety of the fight watching from the shadows, gathering information and strategizing. Sure, maybe she felt a bit bad for the cat guy, who was clearly just as new to the whole hero gig as she was and also just as clearly untrained. She watched him bumble around trying to figure things out for a while before managing to accidentally break the paper the rock monster was holding, releasing a glowing purple butterfly as a bubbling mass overcame the monster, turning it back into her classmate Ivan. She watched the butterfly flit away with a calculating eye before returning her attention to who she guessed was probably supposed to be her partner. He leaped away and ran across the rooftops as she followed discreetly behind. He stopped suddenly and looked around with an annoyed expression on his face before huffing and sitting down on the edge of the roof. She dropped silently behind him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Hello.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   He jumped up and spun around yelping. She stood there stiffly, watching him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Are…” he began hesitantly. “Are you the partner my kwami told me about?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She stared at him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Yes.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>    He blinked, for a moment seeming to be caught off guard, before he suddenly blew up in her face.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Well then where were you, huh?! I had to figure out everything on my own! I had to fight the akuma on my own! You were nowhere in sight, and now you just show up?! We’re supposed to be partners!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She blinked at him slowly in response.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Watching.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She said finally. He stepped back, caught off guard by her response, and furrowed his brow.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “You were… watching?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Yes.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Then why didn’t you step in and help?!” He burst out, throwing his arms in the air and pacing a few steps away. “I was clearly struggling!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She huffed out a breath through her nose and sighed, before sitting down and patting the rooftop next to herself. He slowly drew near again and sat down beside her. They sat there for a while in silence, listening to the city around them and staring at each other.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “What should I call you?” She asked finally.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   He jerked slightly, surprised by her sudden words.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Uh…” he blinked. “Chat Noir.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Chat Noir…” she said slowly, letting the words roll off her tongue and experimenting with the feel of them. She hummed lightly. “Then I am Ladybug.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   He huffed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “That doesn’t explain where you were when I needed you during the fight, Ladybug.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She studied him carefully.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “I was gathering intelligence. This is new to both of us, Chat Noir. I was studying our opponent. And you. I needed to know what we were up against and who I was working with. Besides,” she muttered, looking away and fidgeting slightly. “I don’t really like attention. I’ll always be there, and in the future I’ll help from the shadows, but I just don’t think I can fight in the open like you can.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   This time it was him studying her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>    “Ok.” He finally said. “We can work with this. Your suit is certainly right for it.” he gestured to her.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She smiled thinly, knowing he was right. Her suit was perfect for her and her preference for shadows and lurking. It consisted of a one piece darker than the blackest of nights, shining just subtly when it caught the light, like the light reflecting off a ladybug’s shell. It was made of some sort of fabric that felt stretchy and breathable, allowing for complete ease of movement and flexibility, but at the same time it felt tough and armored like a weird combination of Kevlar and metal. She had thick black boots that blended perfectly into the bodysuit and matching gloves with small black barbs on the knuckles. Strapped to each thigh was a small curved dagger and she had a black yoyo with a single dark blood red spot in the middle tied around her waist. When she’d been running across the rooftops as she followed the battle, she’d caught a quick flash of her reflection in a window, noting the six dark blood red spots across her shoulder blades on her back. Her hair, normally a midnight blackish-blue, was now completely black and pulled up in a high ponytail trailing down to her mid-back with a black ribbon, the tails of which stuck up reminiscent of antennae. Her face was covered by a simple black domino mask.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “What’s your favorite color?” She asked suddenly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   He blinked at her, gaping slightly and looking taken aback.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “What?” He finally managed to splutter out, staring at her. She stared straight back at him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “What’s your favorite color? We’re not allowed to know each other’s identity, but that doesn’t mean we can’t know each other. Good partnerships are built on trust, if we know nothing about the other person, then we will fail quickly.” She stated bluntly. In response to his continued stunned silence, she sighed and said, “Fine, I’ll go first. My favorite color is probably either pink or black. I like pink because it’s just such a pretty color and reminds me of spring and flowers, but black is just so appealing, being the color of shadows and aloneness and all.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Uh… my uh, my favorite color is green.” He finally stuttered. “Cause of, like, grass and nature and stuff. It reminds me of freedom.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Her gaze sharpened and she narrowed her eyes slightly at his response, mentally filing it away for later. She nodded.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Your turn to ask a question.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   He hummed in thought for a moment before asking,</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “What’s your favorite thing to do? Mine is probably hanging with my friend because Father actually lets me leave the house.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “I like designing and solving puzzles. I want to be a big designer one day and I like the challenge that puzzles give me.” She responded, even as her mental file on her partner expanded.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   And so it continued.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “What’s your kwami’s name? Mine’s Tikki.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Plagg. What’s something most people don’t realize about you? I’m teaching myself Russian and Portuguese.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “I was supposed to be advanced several grades but didn’t want to leave my friends so instead I’m just given advanced work and meet with a tutor twice a week. If you could move to any city which would you choose? I’d go to Gotham because Maman always speaks fondly of her memories there.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Gotham, really? The crime capital of the world? Well okay then, suit yourself. Personally I’d probably choose somewhere like London or New York or really anywhere that’s not here. Maybe some tiny, isolated village that my father would never think of checking. What’s your favorite movie? I’d probably say Matilda.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>   *carefully making comparisons between Matilda and what she’s picked up about Chat Noir during their conversation and drafting plans one through twelve for Operation: Adopt Chat Noir, Maman et Papa Would Love a Son* </em> “Mm, I can’t say I have a favorite. Favorite food? Maman’s Kung Pao Chicken.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Dunno. Special diet. Funniest memory? My cousin and I used to switch places and cause chaos and no one could tell us apart so we never got in trouble.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “I take gymnastics and last month a friend’s friend didn’t know that so he walked in on me stretching one day and freaked out and screamed for my parents because my feet were behind my head and he thought I broke something. Dream job. I already said designer, what about you?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p><em>   *after calming down from a laughing fit* </em> “I don’t really think I’ll have a choice, but I want to be a physics teacher. Science is my best subject and I’m just fascinated by physics and want to share my fascination with others in a way that they too learn something and want to learn more.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Admirable.” She hummed.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Thanks.” He smiled softly. He turned his gaze to the horizon, watching the sun drift away as oranges and purple stretched out across the sky. “I need to get back.” He muttered sadly, eyes becoming downcast. “Before they notice I’m gone.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She gently laid a hand on his shoulder.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Same place, nine o’clock tomorrow?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   He blinked at her before grinning widely.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “It’s been a pleasure, My Lady. Until tomorrow.”  Then with the tip of an imaginary hat, a slight bow, and a two finger salute, he twirled his baton around, extending it and leaping off. She watched him go for a moment before turning and flinging her yoyo away in the opposite direction, feeling it catch and tugging on the wire as she leapt into the air, swinging towards home.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Ladybug landed soundlessly on her balcony, standing there for a moment with her eyes closed, just breathing and listening to the city noises below, before dropping her transformation, catching Tikki, and climbing back down into her room. The kwami smiled softly at her new chosen, cuddling the girl’s cheek.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Do you think I should have been more involved in the battle against Stone Heart, Tikki?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Everyone’s different, Marinette. Everyone has their own version of heroism. As long as you don’t plan to continue just hiding and watching, no interference at all, then I won’t argue with your methods if they work. Sure, Ladybugs in the past have all been flashy leaders, but that doesn’t mean you have to be!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Marinette was quiet for a moment.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Thank you, Tikki. I’m going to bed, I don’t want to be late for school again tomorrow.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Goodnight, Marinette.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Goodnight, Tikki.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>
  <b>A coffee bean is actually the seed pit of the red fruit of a coffee plant called a cherry and grown like grapes if grapes were grown on a tree instead of vines.</b>
</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   The next day, Marinette walked into her classroom in the morning to see a blond boy - who seemed familiar but whom she could not remember ever having seen before - kneeling on the floor next to her seat. She narrowed her eyes and silently walked up behind him. She hummed lowly to get his attention, feeling a sliver of satisfaction when he jumped and turned to face her, allowing her to see the gum on her seat. He started sputtering out some sort of excuse and she turned her focus from the gum to glare at him. He stuttered to a stop, paling and leaning away slightly in the face of her glare, before gulping and stuttering out,</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Chloé put gum on your seat, I’m just trying to get it off.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She continued glaring at him, attempting to discern the truthfulness to his words, before nodding sharply and shooing him aside with one hand, the other hand pulling out a handkerchief that she lay over the gum before she slid into the bench, settling just next to the covered gum. She turned a cool gaze to him, assessing him, trying to figure out why he was so familiar, taking in his <em> Gabriel </em> casual outfit, carefully styled blonde locks, atrocious orange converse, nervous expression, and plain silver ring. She hummed lightly, leaning towards him slightly with the hint of a smile, holding out a hand.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Marinette.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   He blinked at her slowly, seemingly taken aback by her sudden change in attitude towards him. He cautiously reached out to take her hand, firmly squeezing her fingers, he replied,</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Adrien.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She hummed again as he released her hand, leaning back and appraising him.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Agreste?” She asked.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   He winced slightly, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing away sheepishly.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Yeah.” he muttered.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She nodded and turned her attention to pulling out her supplies for class, leaving him to blink bewilderedly and take a seat in front of her. A few minutes later as Mlle. Bustier was beginning her lesson, Alya - the new girl whom Marinette had met the previous day when said new girl arrived, dragged her from her comfortable seat in the back next to Juleka, and declared herself Marinette’s new “bestie” - leaned over and whispered excitedly,</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “You so totally have a crush on him, gurl!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Marinette simply looked at her blankly, before returning her attention to the board where the teacher had begun writing down a list of required supplies for later in the year - markers, glue, popsicle sticks, poster board, etc. She wasn’t sure where her seatmate had gotten such a ludicrous impression, but she was beginning to get the impression that the new girl had created some sort of fantasy for the class and was superimposing it over reality. For the next two hours, Marinette studiously ignored her deskmate as she chattered on and on about the akuma attack the previous day and the appearance of a superhero and questions of if the Justice League would step in soon because it was so clear that the hero from yesterday was inexperienced and blah blah blah Marinette was trying to focus on the literature lesson Mlle. Bustier was currently teaching.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   When Ivan was re-akumatized and along with him several other civilians due to the butterfly’s multiplication, Marinette watched dispassionately as Césaire raced after the villains in order to film them, annoyed that the girl was putting herself harm’s way and would no doubt need to be pulled out of danger many times in the future. Letting out a huff that blew her long bangs out of her face, she slid from the classroom amongst the chaos and ran out into the streets, watching the rooftops for her partner even as she slipped into an alleyway and transformed, grappling towards the fight with her yoyo. Upon reaching the scene, Ladybug crouched down behind a chimney, observing as the stone giants climbed the Eiffel Tower. She heard her partner land behind her and step forward, speaking before he could.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “He has hostages.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Chat spluttered, clearly having hoped to surprise her. She allowed a sliver of a smile to grace her face, before it was quickly gone and she was once again blank. Chat walked up behind her and crouched down, his tail flicking agitatedly behind him as he fiddled with and twirled his baton between his fingers.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Who?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Mylène Haprèle and Chloé Bourgeois.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Chat startled.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Ok, I get how you know Chloé, her being the mayor’s daughter and all, but how’d you know who the other girl is?”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She gave him a sideways glance.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “You’re the fighter. You’re the one out there, seen, known. You’re the one saving the day, being praised. I’m the strategist, the intelligence. I lurk in the background, figuring out the enemy’s weakness and developing a plan of action. I catch the strays you don’t notice, watch your back from a distance. I learn everything we need to know to end the fight, and then, once you break the object I finish things by capturing and purifying the akuma - which I didn’t do yesterday because my kwami conveniently forgot to inform me of this fact, leading us to the dilemma we’re in now <em> *nod towards multiple stone hearts* </em> - and then restoring the city. As you fight, I’ll always be watching, working to unmask and capture the villain behind these akumatizations. It’s my job to know things.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   They sat there for a moment longer as he absorbed that, her cataloging the reactions of the giants as the police tried to fight back and him staring into space and ignoring the screams and crashes nearby.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Huh.” He finally managed. “Well okay then. Got a plan yet.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She hummed in thought narrowing her eyes at the original Stone Heart before calling her Lucky Charm and receiving a parachute. She stared at it for a moment, an unseen gleam entering her eyes as she got an idea.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “As a matter of fact,” she mused. “I do believe so, yes.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   She explained her plan to him, and moments later Chat Noir appeared on the scene, landing in front of the police barricade and walking confidently forward, twirling his baton in one hand, the other lightly tossing and catching a black yoyo, a red and black spotted parachute slung over one shoulder. He ignored the officer calling after him as strode towards the tower, before stopping and planting his baton on the ground, leaning into it and calling out,</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Stone Heart! Why don’t you make this easy on all of us and just let the girls go and hand over the akuma!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Instead of complying, the monster suddenly let out a roar, falling to its knees and turning its face to the heavens. Opening its mouth, it let out a cloud of corrupt butterflies, which flew up and formed into the shape of a human head.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Chat Noir. I am Hawkmoth. As long as you and Ladybug refuse to hand over your Miraculous, you continue to endanger the people of Paris. End this, now. Give me the Ladybug earrings and the ring of the Black Cat, or you threaten the citizens of this city.”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Chat snorted.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “Nice try, Hawkmoth, but we’re not the one turning people into monsters who then kidnap innocents and leave behind them a trail of wreckage through the city. You won’t get our Miraculous. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever. And as long as we remain, we will protect the city from you, until, finally, we have taken your Miraculous!”</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   And with that, he leapt up, zipping the borrowed yoyo through the air, capturing butterflies until none remained. Then he charged Stone Heart, throwing the yoyo so the string wrapped around the giant’s wrist. Chat leapt straight off the tower, using the momentum to drag the giant forward, making it lose balance. In an attempt to catch itself, Stone Heart opened the hand enclosed around Mylène and the akumatized object, causing both to go flying away from the tower and down towards the ground. Chat tugged the yoyo, releasing Stone Heart and instead tossing it towards the ball containing the akuma, breaking it and capturing the butterfly. Even as he did this, he fell, catching up with the falling girl and grabbing hold of her. As he caught the akuma, he retracted the yoyo and tied it to his waist, using his newly freed hand to pull the release on the parachute, opening it and slowing their landing. Once safely on the ground, he released her and turned towards the police barricade and cameras.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   “People of Paris!” He called. “We will always fight back against Hawkmoth and his victims! We will always be here, as long as we are needed! I promise this to you: as long as Hawkmoth remains, so too shall Ladybug and I!” With that final declaration, he leapt up to a nearby shadowy rooftop, handing the spotted parachute to a shadowy figure no one had noticed previously. The figure stepped further out of the shadows, revealing itself to be feminine in shape and dressed completely in black, a hint of red visible along her shoulder blades. The figure took the parachute from Chat Noir and tossed it into the air, the parachute dissolved into a swarm of sparkling ladybugs, which flew out across the city, repairing structural damage and injuries as they went. A few people found themselves sitting up and blinking, rubbing their heads and looking around in confusion, their last memories of cowering and screaming and sobbing as they watched rubble rain down from the sky upon them.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>   Meanwhile, on a rooftop, in the shadows of a chimney, two figures - two children - dressed in black exchanged a grim, weary glance before gazing out at their city. A new age had begun, one of terror and emotional suppression. Anyone could become a supervillain. Anyone could suddenly go crazy and tear through the city. This was the beginning of an age in which people would wake up in the streets, certain that they’d been about to die. This was the beginning of an age where people would wake up in the street wondering what had happened and how they got there. This was the beginning of an age that would force children into the roles of soldiers and heroes, fighting without backup or supervision except from other children, <em> needing </em> to succeed because the fate of reality itself was at stake. Children not yet in their teens would be forced to grow up quickly, to mature and become adults, to face hardships that most adults wouldn’t face in the entirety of their lives, because the whole world depended on these children. Yes, this was the beginning of an age alright. An age of pain. An age of regret. An age of guilt. An age of depression. An age where any bad day or misinterpreted comment or impulsive remark could mean the end of everything. An age where Paris learned to rely on itself, and the world lost some of its faith in its heroes and its politicians and its media. An age where everything changed. This was the beginning of an age.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As always, criticism is the root of improvement!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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